Tim Morgan, a commercial pilot with years of experience, has created a ten minute video he claims will help anyone safely land a 737 in an emergency. The notion that someone could plop down in a cockpit, with zero experience, and pilot a 737 to a safe landing is ludicrous, but that doesn’t make this video any less fascinating. (gizmodo.com) Plus d'info...

Pretty good summary of what's required to take over and land, however... pretty much fantasy that someone who has NO flying experience could pull this off. There have been a few simulator tests of this theory that didn't turn out too good. But, as quickly as kids pick up technology today, I think I know a few who would have a good shot at it. I'd love to try it! I will be taking my 12 year old niece into the 787 Simulator during my recurrent on Sunday soooooo.. maybe she'll get a shot at it ;)

When I was 12, my father took me with him for his copilot check in the Eastern Airlines L-1011 simulator. His captain for the check didn't make it so he sat left seat and I got to be his 'co-pilot'. He check out and then the simulator check pilot told me I could take her around once around the pattern. As my father will proudly tell you, I didn't crash! 33 years later, I earned my private pilot's ticket. You are a great uncle to take your niece up and hopefully she won't wait as long as I did to fulfill her dream as I did (it's different for girls these days)! She will definitely remember the experience all her life.

WOW, I can see a few issues... Coming in on the basic approach, I can agree with most of it, but I would have done a few things differently... 1 I would have setup an ILS... To me easier to watch the instrument, than to try and judge where the aircraft is... 2nd, I think that I would much rather have an auto land setup or at least have the autopilot get me as close to the ground as possible... Just my opinion, but with over 100 people on board depending on me the person rescuing the day I would hate to blow it all in the landing.. I think the A/P could do a better job than I could do. I do have some flight experience and have flown 727 and 737 simulators, but when it is the real thing, I would have some reservations.... If it was a choice of most certain death and I may be able to save the day.. I would give it a shot, but don't think I would necessarily follow that video.

I think that no one who never had thoughts about flying him(her)self would attempt to land a plane even in such an emergency. But the chances are pretty high that some PC 'Flight Simulator' junkie is on board who has at least a very basic understanding about flying and the instruments of a cockpit. That person might be the best available alternative to a sick or dead pilot. So I would give it a try as long as there are not enough parachutes for all of the passengers.I myself have played around a lot with MS Flight Simulator and I believe I have enough understanding that I would be able to bring it down. Maybe not a perfect landing but good enough to survive. Nevertheless I hope that I never will be asked to do it in such an emergency.

Cha! like I'd stop the plane on the runway, no way man, I'm taxiing that bad boy all the way to the gate and making announcements. Assuming you've declared the mayday they'd already have all the fire/rescue stuff rolled so I'd demand a water cannon salute.. Once everyone is off the plane I'd walk into accolades in the terminal, scantily clad models coming up to hug me... (wavy lines) dang it! it was all just a dream..... :)

Looks like it was taken down (changed to Private). Must not like the attention it is getting or the fact that he is publicizing information that leaves too much open to interpretation. I wonder what kind of comments he received on the actual YouTube page.

I would think the Aeroflot one is a more realistic depiction of how this would actually go. (I assume it was a real, unrehearsed simulation.) Hopefully if this ever really happened they would have an experienced, type-certified pilot talking the person down, not just the ATC controller. The video showed the confusion that you would expect, for example, the problem she had finding the thrust reversors. And of course when he tells her to input "uniform mike" and she starts typing "uniform mike."

I recently had an hour in a 737 Simulator in Adelaide. I managed a safe landing at the old Hong Kong Airport and several in the mountains of South America. I have about 5 hours on a Cessna 172 and probably 1000 Hours plus on FS 2004. I know the basics of flying, but do not consider myself anything like being a pilot, I can fly straight and reasonably level, but that's it. I think the video simplifies the whole thing a bit too much, and doesn't factor in the fear factor. I had no problems at in the simulator, but I'm pretty sure I'd be feeling the weight of the 150 passengers sitting behind me were I to try to land a real aircraft,not the simulator.

ATC"Yes sir we understand your emergency. How much time do you have flying a 737? PILOT"Well sir if you are counting this flight about 15 minutes!"ATC"Sir did you say 15 minutes?"PILOT"Yes and that is being generous! Shirley you can help us"ATC"Stand by 733CATC"733C negative on the assistance you are basically toast and please don't call me Shirley!"

The only things I ever flew was a single engine during my flight training which I had in 1970's..and never did my check ride (Long Story). I have flown thousands of hours using Microsoft FSX and am very good at it. I do not think I would rush to the flight deck if a "pilot" was requested to come forward in a commercial jet. I would spend that time calling my loved ones and talking to GOD. However, I do subscribe to the saying "FLY IT TO THE CRASH SITE" so would probably volunteer to try if nobody came forward. Expectation of success...about 15% I guess.

Maybe things have changed over the years but I was always taught power = altitude. If you pull back or push forward on the yoke to adjust decent rate you stand a chance of screwing it into the ground or coming in hot.

avweb picked this story up as well, where they initially credited this guy as being a Delta Airlines pilot! After having watched the video, I become very suspicious. Way too much questionable advice; the one that took the cake was "putting the gear lever to neutral after extension"!!Next, I queried the author of the avweb piece-long story short, they ended up changing their story, the part about the Delta pilot credit.What surprised me was the level of "National Inquirer" type of journalism on part of avweb, which normally is a reputable source!!

Guess I'd be cheating a little. I have experience in Cessnas 150 and 152. There's a line in one of my favorite movies "I'm a pilot, I can fly". I wonder if my instructor would sign off my log book with a 737 endorsement?

For strictly entertainment value and nice graphics, this was a fun watch....

Once again, only my opinion, but I don't know of any Airline driver who would post a video like this. Perhaps its semantics, but all a "Commercial pilot" signifies is that he got his commercial pilots certificate, does not mean he flies for hire. The video looks like a PMDG 737 (sim) and perhaps his years of experience is on just that. Who knows, and I could be completely off base, and if I am, apologies to Tim Morgan, but there is a lot of misleading information out there.

In regards to the autopilot, i/m/h/o, with the complexity of todays autopilots (especially on the 'busses) unless you know how to turn it off, and know how the plane will react when you turn it off, it is not as easy as it sounds. If you're not familiar with how a plane performs, turning off the autopilot on short final is not the best place to learn how the plane handles, chances are you'd roll her over (assuming you left the pitch alone).

I would definitely recruit ATC, stay up high with the autopilot on (most likely that is how I would have gotten the aircraft anyway), and give ATC the chance to get a real driver on the radio to help get me down.

This is quite interesting. That video showed up in my YouTube recommendations on Friday, and I watched it. Now today I see these commentaries here and in my Avweb Flash. First, let me say that due to my disabilities I am not a pilot. However, aviation has been a primary interest of mine ever since the first day I flew, which was Eastern flight 861 from JFK to MCO on April 3, 1974, take off on 4L.. Now, here is what stuck in my craw in this video: after the autopilot is disengaged, the narrator said something about using the yoke to control descent. When flying a jet, isn't it more proper to use the throttle to control sink rate and elevators to control airspeed? Perhaps some of you real pilots can advise an armchair pilot.

I wanted to reply earlier but your comment disappeared. Now I see it again. While I won't disagree completely with the answer received by John Miller, it really depends on the phase of flight and the priority derived from the pilot in control of the aircraft. Here is my thoughts, for what it is worth. Sorry if any of this is overkill.

The two (throttles vs elevators) are both heavily dependent on each other. The method you are referring to is first taught in basic training to introduce a unfamiliar concept to operating in a three axis environment, however, it is usually taught when one or the other variable is fixed (i.e. constant rate climb/descent [variable power] or constant airspeed climb/descent [variable pitch]). They build on this and eventually learn the coordination of both at the same time. The method you mention is also more valuable in the region of reverse command.

As a side note: power/thrust controls are a bit slow to react in jet aircraft at low power setting (engine spool time) vs piston aircraft (immediate reaction). For example, you find yourself high, you really don't want to pull power to idle increase vertical speed (sink rate). If done, the aircraft will immediately slow down but will take considerable time to settle into a steeper descent (CG permitting). At jet aircraft speeds, time if of the essence. So, some throttle reduction will be necessary but pitch change is my first course of action (albeit generally only a few degrees), then adjust throttle to maintain speed (unless you are at cruise near the "barber pole" when the descent is initiated). This is due to the fact that you don't want to get low and slow and have the throttles at idle as the time to spool the engines is considerable and may take longer than needed.

This is actually a pretty controversial topic but to sum it up, after completing basic instrument training, one has learned it is a combination of both at practically all times. Which one you do first is really just technique.

This article does a great job and comparing the two methods.http://www.sunriseaviation.com/art-pitch_power_trim1.html

Additionally this one is nice.http://flighttraining.aopa.org/magazine/2004/April/200404_Features_Beyond_the_basics.html

Seems like something that one would have to practice to develop a feeling for. To keep a video limited to 10 minutes with only one sentence about using the yoke to control descent on short final makes it all luck with practically no skill.

I thought so. It would be a public service if people from here went over to that video and left some comments asking what'shisname to edit the video and fix that. We don't want our volunteer passengers to make a mistake.

Don't most modern aircraft have a flight management system that would allow the novice pilot, with help from someone on the ground, to just enter an airport code and fly the plane in full auto mode all the way to touchdown and stop?

I wonder if ATC would really keep referring to the plane as "Delta 1603" as opposed to calling the passenger by his/her name. I'm not a trained pilot, so if I ever found myself in the position of landing a jet, I doubt that I would respond to a call sign.

Me too. But they wouldn't be speaking only to me. Most "emergency pilots" wouldn't have the experience to know to be listening for their flight number. Heck, I usually forget my flight number as soon as I'm certain I'm at the right gate.

I just can imagine a completely in experienced man or woman landing a heavy aircraft like a 737 successfully and without incident. It's hard to get the idea of throttle affecting altitude and the yolk affecting airspeed and getting the wheels on the pavement, (I hate the term tarmac)while sitting in a seat behind very small windows more than 2 arms lengths away and over a story in the air. I don't believe much of what this guy has to say on this topic. Add to all this that he forgot the cockpit door would be locked and there would be no way in to the cockpit and pilots seats where the controls are.

There are so many things wrong with that video, I don't even know where to start. The article claims he's a commercial pilot, but he's clearly not one of the 73 from the looks of the video. I can't believe, with the wealth of information up on YouTube, that this is the one getting attention...

This would be akin to watching a 10-minute video to learn how to play the piano. But knowing a mistake could destroy your 80 year old Wurlitzer would probably keep you from going anywhere near the thing.

Uh....might I remind you of the German Wings crash. Not USA but still, I know for a fact ALPA and all other pilot unions would never agree to this. In fact they are pushing for secondary barriers. Plus never seen a key hole or otherwise on a cockpit door. The only "hidden" unlock device is for the lavatory.